Is Windows 11 Home enough or Upgrade to Pro?

Windows 11 Home or Windows 11 Pro? That is the question on many people’s minds since Microsoft released its newest operating system. Both versions have their pros and cons, but which one should you choose for your business?

In this blog post, we will discuss the differences between Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro, and help you decide which version is right for you.

Major Differences Between Windows 11 Home and Pro

There are several major differences between Windows 11 Home and Pro. The most notable difference is that Windows 11 Pro comes with additional security features, such as BitLocker encryption and advanced malware protection.

Let us compare Windows 11 Home and Pro on various parameters.

Windows 11 Home vs. Pro: Security

There are additional security safeguards in Windows 11 Pro since business customers frequently deal with very sensitive information. The first is BitLocker encryption support. With the help of this feature, your hard drive’s data is encrypted to prevent unauthorized access. Your files are safe even if your PC is stolen from someone else.

Another Pro-only security feature is Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection. This service helps to protect your business from sophisticated attacks by monitoring and identifying malicious activity on your network.

Windows 11 Pro also includes Windows Information Protection or WIP. This data loss prevention tool can assist in preventing data leaks within an organization. Companies can, for instance, forbid users from transmitting content to third parties using WIP rules. When compared to third-party alternatives, WIP is easier to use because it is integrated into Windows. WIP may also distinguish between personal and corporate data on a device, allowing business data to be remotely erased without harming personal data if the PC is lost or stolen.

So, if you are looking for enhanced security features, Windows 11 Pro is the way to go.

Windows 11 Home vs. Pro: Management and Deployment

Another area where Windows 11 Pro shines is in its management and deployment capabilities. With Windows 11 Pro, you get access to the Group Policy Editor. This tool allows you to manage various settings on your PC, such as user accounts, security options, and software restrictions.

Deployment is also easier with Windows 11 Pro.

With the help of a feature called Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, you can quickly deploy a custom image of Windows 11 Pro on multiple PCs at once. This is especially useful for businesses that need to regularly roll out new images of the operating system.

So, if you need more control over your PC’s settings and want to deploy Windows 11 more easily, then the Pro version is the one you should get.

Other management features that are exclusive to Windows 11 Pro are:

• Mobile device management
• Enterprise State Roaming
• Assigned Access
• Dynamic Provisioning
• Windows Update for Business
• Kiosk mode
• Active Directory/Azure AD

Windows 11 Home vs. Pro: Virtualization and Remote Desktop

Another set of features that are only available in Windows 11 Pro are virtualization and remote desktop. With virtualization, you can run multiple operating systems simultaneously on the same PC. This is useful for developers who need to test their software on different versions of Windows. Hyper-V, a virtualization tool, is only available in Windows 11 Pro. This tool is integrated into Windows, you can build virtual machines with it.

You can utilize Hyper-V to run a different operating system or an earlier version of Windows if you need to for whatever reason. Your host PC won’t be altered by virtual machines, so everything you do is risk-free. Again, you can do this on Home editions using third-party applications like VMware Workstation Player.

Remote Desktop allows you to connect to another computer over a network and control it as if you were sitting in front of it. This is handy for IT administrators who need to provide support to users remotely.

So, if you need virtualization or remote desktop capabilities, then you will need to get Windows 11 Pro.

Windows 11 Home vs. Pro: CPU and RAM support

The last set of features we’re going to look at are the ones related to CPU and RAM support.

Since Windows 11 Home and Pro have similar minimum system requirements, they can be used on the same PCs. However, Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro have different upper bounds. For instance, Windows 11 Home PCs can only support one CPU and one CPU socket. Similar to this, Windows 11 Home can only have 64 CPU cores, whereas Windows 11 Pro can support up to 128 cores.

Additionally, Windows 11 Home support “only” 128GB of RAM. Naturally, that will be sufficient for the majority of regular users – even the most sophisticated gaming PCs don’t require this much RAM. Windows 11 Pro, on the other hand, increase it to 2TB, which will mostly be helpful if you want to construct numerous virtual machines and give them a tonne of RAM.

Windows 11 Home vs. Pro: Price

Now that we’ve looked at all the features that Windows 11 Pro has to offer, you might be wondering how much it costs. Well, the good news is that Windows 11 Pro isn’t too expensive. While the Windows 11 Home version costs $139, the pro version will cost you $199.

Final Verdict: Should You Get Windows 11 Pro?

So, should you get Windows 11 Pro? Well, it depends on your needs.

If you are a business owner or IT administrator, then Windows 11 Pro is a no-brainer. The same goes for power users who need virtualization and remote desktop capabilities.

For regular users, Windows 11 Pro will offer some nice additional features, but it might be overkill if all you need is an upgrade from Windows 11 Home. Ultimately, the decision comes down to how much you are willing to spend and what features you need.

We hope this article helped you make a decision about whether or not you should upgrade to Windows 11 Pro. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below!

Peter Brown

Peter is an Electrical Engineer whose primary interest is tinkering with his computer. He is passionate about Windows 10 Platform and enjoys writing tips and tutorials about it.